


got a devils haircut in my mind

by huhyouexist



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Haircuts, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Sort Of, Ty Lee visits Azula
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:01:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29814348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huhyouexist/pseuds/huhyouexist
Summary: Azula gets a haircut
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 70





	got a devils haircut in my mind

Silence.

Azula had been entrenched with it for days now. The cold atmosphere of her cell provided no comfort to her already damaged wellbeing, and the straightjacket they had forced her into made her limbs go numb so long ago, Azula’s starting to forget what it feels like to move. Any time they needed to move her somewhere, and by they she meaned the doctors assigned to endlessly torture her with shots and pills, they’d put her in a wheelchair and wheel her out.

On the brightside, the pain from the unnatural twist of her limbs had lost its feeling. All she felt was the small tingle of her skin, almost an itch she wanted to scratch, but knew she couldn’t. It was like torture, but in the smallest, and most minute way that no one had noticed it. If they did, well, they certainly weren’t going to stop the _evil_ Fire Nation Princess from experiencing some payback, now were they.

They all despised her, but Azula didn’t care. All that mattered was biding her time. One of these days, she’d figure a way out of here. When the time is right, she could get things back on track, and fix the chaos Zuko had no doubt unleashed on their Nation.

She’d make them all see.

She’d make her see.

Ursa.

Azula scowls underneath the jagged cuts of her bangs, which shielded her eyes from vision as she laid in her sorry excuse for a bed. It was really just a mattress, with far too many stains on it to be considered sanitary.

She was convinced Ursa was the spawn of all her problems. Ursa, who somehow gained the trust of Azula’s enemies before she even knew who they were, and used them to work against her. To ruin her life. Yes, Ursa always tried to hinder her abilities. Tried to falter her success. She always got in the way, and Azula swore if she ever got out of this place, she’d find her Mother, and put an end to her meddling.

And if not, she’d die trying.

Even now, she could hear the whispers of her voice, filtering through her ears and warning her of her Mother’s potential plots and schemes. She could hear it, so she’d listen and gain the advantage. That way, she’d be ready when the time came.

Three bangs on the metal door to her cell alert Azula to another's presence. With effort, Azula hoists herself up in a sitting position, back against the wall as the door in front of her opens. The flicking light of the lamps outside her cell filter into the room, reminding Azula of the sun, but providing her no true warmth of comfort in its presence.

Ty Lee steps in, holding a small wooden box in her hands.

This was a first, if Azula must admit it. She’d seen Zuko, The Avatar, and Katara during the first few days of her visit. Zuko’s visit went as well as one might expect it to but The Avatar’s was especially interesting, because apparently he thinks there’s hope for her. Azula didn’t give the slightest acknowledgement to the boys words, but at least he didn’t take her bending away. Katara’s well, it was quite boring actually. It was mostly just Katara dumping everything Azula had done “wrong” onto her in the 30 minutes it took her to heal Azula’s wounds from the Agni Kai. Apparently Zuko had decreed she would be tended to.

She felt like a dog the entire time. All she could do was sit there, strapped down and limp while Katara did and said as she pleased.

But Ty Lee...Ty Lee hadn’t dared make an appearance until today. 

Azula wished she wouldn’t have.

“Take it off of her.” Was the first thing the brunette says, commanding the guard just behind her, who hadn’t yet dared to step into the room.

“Miss?” The guard stutters, clearly not at all okay with that order.

“The jacket.” Ty Lee says with restrained disgust. “Take it off of her. Now.”

“But-”

“I won’t repeat myself.” 

The guard squeaks, and quickly heads inside, unlocking the bars separating the two parties. Azula doesn’t take her eyes off of Ty Lee the entire time the guard unfastens the restraints around her body. Even as the cloth pooled around her hips, flowing down to the mattress, she refused to break eye contact. For some reason, it felt like if she did, then she lost whatever game they had started.

“How are they treating you?” Ty Lee asks, stepping into the room more after the guard shuts the door behind them. 

Azula says nothing, watching the girl walk into Azula’s side of the bars, setting the box down just at the door.

“I’ve heard this place is one of the top facilities in the Fire Nation.” Ty Lee explains, looking around the room and eyeing it’s less than impressive state. “Well, that’s what Zuko said, at least.”

Azula scoffs, looking away. “Perfect. So glad to know it has Zuko’s shining seal of approval.”

“Do you not think so?” Ty Lee asks, sounding genuinely curious.

Azula should say no. She should explain how they more often than not \ force fed her medicine every day and threw her in her cell when she misbehaved. She should tell Ty Lee that the restraints on her jacket were always a little too tight, and that sometimes she felt like she was suffocating.

But instead, she says, “What do you care?” 

There’s no answer to that question, just the sound of gentle footsteps against the stone flooring. Azula could feel Ty Lee’s hand reaching toward her face before it ever made contact, and was quick to grab it, squeezing harshly and glaring at the brunette.

“Don’t touch me.” Azula grits, throwing Ty Lee’s hand away. 

Ty Lee lets out a breath, and Azula can’t tell if it’s in relief of exasperation. “I’ll admit I was really scared to do that. I thought you might try to burn me.”

“Try?” Azula laughs. “Trust me, I would have.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

Azula looks away, ignoring the way the voices grow louder in her ears, piercing her skull and almost throb at her forehead. “Curiosity.” She finally answers.

Ty Lee sits down on the bed next to the Princess. “Of what?”

“Why you're wearing that horrendous makeup.” Azula lied, venom dripping from her voice.

Ty Lee, for all her arrogance, giggles. That same giggle that Azula has heard so many times before. When she too was on the receiving end of it, but under more...civilized circumstances.

Azula refuses to admit that she misses it.

“I joined the Kyoshi Warriors.”

“Well done, you’ve joined the one thing you never wanted to be a part of.” Azula remarks distastefully. She remembers that conversation on the beach, of howTy Lee spoke of her woes. Of how she never wanted to be a part of a matched set, and look at her now. It’s almost laughable.

Ty Lee inches closer, and Azula takes note of it but makes no move to separate herself from the girl. Truthfully, Azula is still trying to remember how to flex her fingers. “It’s not so bad. We’re all different, and no one mixes us up, and I like it there. The girls are nice.”

Without warning, Azula feels the gentle fingers of Ty Lee’s hand graze through her diagonally cut bangs. Instantly, she jerks away, slapping Ty Lee’s hand. Maybe it’s the adrenaline that shoots through her, but suddenly Azula has full mobility of her body.

“Zuko was telling the truth when he said you did a major number on your hair.” Ty Lee notes. “What happened?”

“It got in the way.” Azula bites. “Stop asking so many questions.”

With a sigh, Ty Lee stands, moving to grab the wooden box before heading back to the bed. “Fine, but can I ask for a favor?”

“No.”

“But-”

“No.” Azula says, firmer this time.

Ty Lee stares at her for a moment, evaluating Azula’s hardened glare before opening the box. Azula looks down to see the various tools inside. There was a brush and comb, as well as a pair of scissors, and other things Azula didn’t care to know the name of. “...What is this?”

“I want to give you a haircut.” Ty Lee says simply, setting the box down and pulling out the brush. “I’ve been cutting my own hair for years, so don’t worry.”

“Why on Agni would I let you anywhere near my hair.”

“Because you hate it, don’t you?”

Azula says nothing, and when Ty Lee reaches out with the brush she does not move away. She lets the bristles comb through her hair, wrangling out the tangled and smoothing it down her back like ink. When Ty Lee asks her to face her fully, Azula does so, but holds her head down. When Ty Lee rests her hand under Azula’s chin and draws it up, she doesn’t look away from her sparkling eyes.

Even in the dark, Ty Lee shines just as brightly as before.

After a long 10 minutes spent in complete, but not uncomfortable, silence, Azula is handed a small mirror from the bottom of the box. Looking into the item, Azula sees that her bangs were evenly cut now, stopping just before her eyebrows. 

She looked nice. Better than before at least.

“They’ll grow out, but now it’ll be at an even pace.” Ty Lee says, packing up her things and standing. “...I am sorry, you know. For betraying you like that.”

Azula looks away from the mirror, handing it to Ty Lee. “Then why did you do it?”

“Because if I didn’t Mai would have died.” Ty Lee replies. “I know you don’t believe me, but I did it for you.”

“You’re right.” Azula mumbles, leaning into the wall, containing the anger boiling up inside her. For some reason, she didn’t want to lash out at Ty Lee. Even though the brunette deserves every word at the tip of her tongue, ready to be shouted, Azula still refrained. 

She didn’t know why, only that she did.

A hand runs through her newly cut bangs, and Azula looks up to see Ty Lee’s sad expression.

“I always loved your hair.” She mumbles before retracting ehr hand.

Azula catches it, and for a moment, Azula swears she feels the heat growing in her cheeks, as she feels the heat boiling in her hand. It festers, and it seemed that Ty Lee took notice of it too.

“Azu-”

Azula releases her hand with a push, and with a blank stare mumbles, “Just go.”

She can feel Ty Lee hesitate, but eventually turns and leaves the cell.

A tear falls from Azula’s eye, and she doesn’t understand why.


End file.
